The Princess, the Captain, and the Snake
by Skyflier71
Summary: Ginny Weasley's life is filled with bad things: a miscarriage, being left behind, brother being depressed, and so on. She meets a few new people, though, and realizes life isn't bad as she thought. Follow Ginny Weasley and she goes through life, experiencing all the ups and downs. Written in sequence, should be many chapters. Many non-canon subplots.


Sometimes, I hate looking in the mirror, and I try to avoid it as much as possible. On other days, I can't stop staring at myself...like I can't look anyway from my reflection. Unfortunately, this was one of those days. I didn't think I was necessarily ugly...but life had been tough on me. I had gotten pregnant a year ago, and then I miscarried...Harry was so devastated, he left me...and I still hadn't recovered from that experience. It stung. It hurt. It killed me. I hadn't been strong enough to give someone life...what kind of woman was I?

I didn't believe that. Not whole-heartedly. I knew it wasn't really my fault, but the guilt clouded over all my reason. And so, I sit here, sipping on my butterbeer, staring into my compact mirror as I waited for Harry to arrive.

I understood why he left me. If I could, I'd leave myself, too. Sadly, I couldn't. Despite what people would normally think would happen after this...experience, Harry and I've remained friends. We still love each other, as friends, of course, and we were always there for each other, separated or not. That's how Harry managed to survive the "Weasley Fury". "Hey." Harry slid into the seat opposite me. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine. I got a letter from the-"

"Yes, I know. The Holyhead Harpies. It's all over the news." He handed me a copy of the Daily Propehet: _Ginny Weasley, only eighteen, and with Weasley blood running up and down through her body, has been offered a position on the Holyhead Harpies! What will-_

"Wow. I didn't mean for the news to get around..." I muttered, now realizing why a couple had eyed me while I was walking through Hogsmeade.

"So?" he poked me in the stomach, as if we were little kids again. "What are you going to do?"

I groaned. "I don't know...I love Quidditch, but...I feel like I should be doing something more important in the world, you know?"

"Gin, you fought in the war...there's not much more people can ask for you!" Harry argued.

"No! A lot of people expect me to be a Healer, or to work in the Ministry, all that bullshit!"

"Is that what you WANT to do?" Harry asked calmly, sipping from his butterbeer.

"No...not really. I guess...I guess I should try it out for a season or two...who knows, maybe I'll love it..." I decided. "But then again, now I have to get into shape..."

"You got this, Ginny. And..." Harry smirked. "Since I knew you'd come to those decision, I kind of invited of invited a friend to help out with some of your training and such."

My eyebrows raised skeptically. "Really? Who?"

His smirk grew wider. "Not telling... you'll just have to meet him at a Private Wizard Pitch, that I've set up."

"Ugh." I took the address from him, eyeing him dangerously. "I really hate you right now, and if this isn't one of your idiotic set ups..."

"It isn't, I promised." What I didn't know is that the pest Potter had crossed his fingers behind his back.

* * *

><p>"When?" I was sitting on a counter of George's, and he was interrogating me while he sorted through boxes of "pranks".<p>

"Tomorrow, precisely at 8 AM." I sighed, brushing my hair back, as I got up to adjust the "Open/Closed" sign to show "Open".

"Well, are you going to go?" George asked.

I turned to look at him, and to my surprise, he was staring right back at me, his brown eyes sad and narrow. George had gone through a depression when Fred had died...and he'd only started to recover about a month ago. He was getting better, Angelina and I were helping him through the pain, helping him keep up with his shop...still, he almost always had a tough of misery darkening his eyes, and it killed me. "I guess. I mean, I'm pretty out of shape right now, I suppose I need the help, don't I?"

"You're perfect just the way you are, Gin." George said seriously. Like I said, completely OOC.

Just as I was about to thank him, Angelina waltzed into the store. "Ginny! Congratulations!" she threw her arms around me, hugging me closely. "Well done!" she pulled back. "Hey, Georgie, how are you feeling?"

"Better." He said, stonily.

Angelina sighed, then pulled out what was in her shopping bag. "Voila! Ginny," she wrapped her arm around George's shoulder. "When George and I heard about you getting an offer to the Holyhead Harpies, we decided that you deserved a lovely present! We were thinking it over for hours, until George came up with the bright idea to give you a new broom! And so, I present to you...the Firebolt 1000!"

My mouth dropped open, and I tore away the packaging paper to recognize a perfectly shaped broom with gleaming wood and neatly arranged tails. "Thank you Thank you Thank you!" I embraced them, feeling my face break into happiness.

When I broke away, I saw George smiling at me...the first time he had smiled in a year. "Come on, Gin. Test it out when you're with that boy...maybe you'll impress 'im!"

I nodded, kissed my brother's cheek, then twirled over to a couple young girls, who were giggling over love potions. I smiled kindly at them. They must have been thirteen, tops. "Come on, girls, what are you fussing over silly love potions, for?"

One of the girls smiled back at me. "I'm Gemma. I've had a crush on this boy for ages..." she sighed. "I'm really, really, desperate for him to notice me."

I tried to understand. I knew thirteen year olds could technically be in love...but... "Boys are stupid. If he STILL hasn't noticed you, gee, he must be a real git! Boys'll only break your heart! Try these cute pygmy puffs! They're so pretty and fluffy! And I'll bet you they'll last a hell of a lot longer than a boy!"

"Thank you!" Gemma grinned at me, her eyes brightening as she watched the fluffy little creatures. She already looked happier, and more IN life, if that makes any sense.

Feeling as if I'd just made a successful sale, I called to my brother and Angie that I was off to lunch. I was lovely to be in Diagon Alley so often. And it was August, when children would race through the streets, and you'd be able to have friendly chats with everybody...the weather was cool and sunny, leaves were flying all over the place...it was just a brilliant scene to be around so often. And then my family would visit ever so often, and I'd be able to see little Victoire as she grew older and older. It was, easily said, a beautiful life I lead. Was I ready to give up all this to join the Holyhead Harpies?

So maybe I was being a bit of a drama queen. I'd still work for George every weekend, and so I'd still see my family frequently, either way..."Oof!" I halted in surprise just in front of the Leaky Cauldron, just as I crashed into a handsome young man. "Oh, Golly, I'm so sorry!" I squealed, feeling the red flame up in my cheeks.

"No, I'm sorry, I should watched where I was going..." he murmured, accepting my hand up.

I looked at him closely. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"I would imagine so, I'm Oliver Wood."

* * *

><p>Hermione was tired. She was annoyed. And she was sick. Life was hard. It was just about to get ten times harder if what Minister Kingsley wanted to do was going to happen...which was why, she was currently up at 2:30...AM. "Hermione, go to sleep." She looked up to see her boyfriend, Ron Weasley, leaning against the doorframe.<p>

"Ron?! What are you doing here?!" Hermione asked, shocked.

"You just Patronused me to get here...Hermione, go to sleep, please." Ron said, walking forward, and spinning her desk chair so she would face him.

"I can't." she whimpered. "Ron, if I go to sleep now, the Minister is going to enforce a Marriage Law! Or...G.R.O.W. Growth Return of Wizards, that is."

Ron looked, startled at Hermione. "What?"

"You heard me. All the Pure-bloods will be forced to marry someone, who ISN'T a Pure-blood. They want to accomplish two things: The hatred between the three...races, and also return the population of Wizards/Witches to the right size. They'll have to have KIDS." Hermione began to sob into Ron's shirt. "I-I need to fix this. How? I don't know...what am I going to do?"

"Shh..." Ron patted Hermione's back, his eyes still wide with surprise. "It's okay. We'll think of something...together. No worries, Hermione...I'm never going to leave you. I love you."

Sadly, she was already asleep to hear that.

**Well, I hope you enjoyed! The next chapter is about Ginny's meeting with...mysterious man! Is it with Oliver Wood, or another male character? Watch for my chapter! Please, REVIEW, FOLLOW, and FAVORITE!**


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